Duchess Loves Books

(ARC provided by the author) Lots of pictures...I found a lot of quotes and moments that were perfect to describe Tylar and Trey's relationship.Okay, so this was probably the MOST intense book of the series, and that's saying a lot. As far as evoking strong emotions, this book tops the charts. And I'm not talkin' super romantic, squishy hearts and flowers romance. No, I'm talking bipolar emotions...hate, fear, heartbreak, love, devotion, betrayal. Here's the book's own blurb, because I can't think of a way to say it better without giving anything away:"It has been a mostly bumpy road thus far, but they have always managed to find the strength they needed in each other… however, their relationship will soon be put to the ultimate test.Trey and Tylar will discover that there are those who are willing to destroy the loving relationship they have by death or at the very least, infidelity. Their love and commitment to each other is put to a tragic test. Will they be able to survive the unexpected hardship that befalls them? Will the strength of their love, the depth of their commitment to each other and the ability to forgive draw them ever closer or break them apart forever?"Let me tell you, after the awful cliffhanger of the last book, I was honestly prepared for anything when I first picked this one up. And this one starts off with utter despair. Heartbreak. Loneliness...hopelessness. Oh, gosh, my poor heart!!!But I WILL say this: My friends told me to hang on...and I'm glad that I did. There is still one unfinished "problem" that needs to be taken care of, but I've been assured that the next installment, Gina's point of view novella, will wrap up any lingering issues from this book.I keep saying in each review that this series is a journey. It's not the first blush of love, a couple of inconsequential problems to solve, and a happy ever after. It delves into REAL LIFE problems, what happens after the growing UP is done. Now it's time to grow TOGETHER. All marriages have that, and Trey and Tylar also have to deal with Tylar's evil past demons that have not been dealt with at this point.“Trey,” I said, leaning against him, “I think we finally have all of the whack-jobs out of our lives.”“I sure hope so, baby,” he replied, kissing my neck.” And Trey and Tylar's love for each other is tested...and tested...and tested. That's what this series has been about for me. And that's what marriage and love are. Making it through the hard times makes the end result that much more important.“I love you, Trey.”“I love you, Tylar.”

Review to be published in upcoming issue of InD'tale Magazine.(This was amazing)

BABY LOVE These are the HARDEST books to review, I swear! There is so much going on, so much to talk about. I can see why the initial books were so long...busy, busy, busy. If I were reviewing this professionally, I might be harder on it, but I am reviewing it simply on my enjoyment. And I REALLY enjoyed this book!Okay...if you haven't read the first book, there might be minor spoilers for it (if you don't get the gist of the series...ahem...baby.) In this installment, Tylar and Trey are new parents. The entire tone of this book changes, which is exactly what I was hoping would happen. Tylar is a wonderful mother, despite having some issues. No matter what happens, her devotion to Preston never lets up, and it shines through the pages. Andrea Smith truly grasps motherhood...the ups and downs, and the joy and sorrow. It's not always pretty...in fact, often it's ugly. There is such overwhelming love for your kids that it often feels...overwhelming! Feelings of inadequacy pop up often, especially if something goes wrong. And then there's being a wife/woman alongside motherhood. Two of the hardest things I've ever done are being married and having kids...and Tylar is dealing with them all at a young age. She loves her Trey, she loves her baby, but that doesn't negate the problems that arise. Especially with her past still up in the air. "Tylar, you've a right to feel however you feel. Feelings are not right or wrong - are what they are."My Trey and Tylar: While Tylar and Trey are going through the trials and tribulations of new parents, they are also having to deal with Tylar's past...her "mom" and the events that led up to the horrible events she calls her childhood. This adds a WTF factor as well as some crazy drama and suspense. And it also adds a sort of melancholy note, because Tylar has always been missing that kind of love from a parent to a child in her life...in fact, is feeling it for the first time in her life now, with Preston."I'd never felt this kind of love before. It was a different kind of love than what I had for Trey. It'd been so immediate and so strong from the beginning. It was so unconditional, this baby love.I thought about my mother and wondered why she'd never felt that 'baby love' for me. I banished the thought of her from my mind. It was only painful and for now I wanted to enjoy this bonding with my daughter."Just for the record, I think Trey and Tylar are wonderful parents...really great about meshing their ideals and differences together and creating a loving home for their daughter. I thought that the amount of babysitting they got was enviable, but still... :D:DWhy the four stars? Despite my enjoyment of the story, I had a few things that really bothered me. I was somewhat grossed out by Trey referring to Tylar's tendency to swallow his...you know...by asking her if she was "ready for some protein". Ew, just ew. I've never seen the fascination with swallowing, so maybe this could be titillating for some ladies, but for me it was just gross. Also, when Tylar sees her mother's body after it's exhumed...and it's as if the body was perfectly preserved...for the last twenty years?! Not possible...not at all. That body would be rotten and shrunken, no matter what they did to it. You simply can't preserve a body that long. Maybe if it's been frozen, but still...twenty years? Completely unrealistic. And Tylar KISSES THE BODY!?! I also think the writing is somewhat unrefined in places...repetitive (sex scenes...SO repetitive) and a few minor editing issues. So this story really captivated me. I was almost completely uninterested in the sex scenes. They didn't do it for me to begin with, but I really noticed it more in this book...I really just wanted to get back to the meat of the story. It just keeps moving forward. And for Smith to make a normal marriage this interesting is really saying something. Despite the somewhat fantastical circumstances outside of the marriage, just Tylar and Trey's daily grind was captivating! Funny in places, poignant in others, I loved this book...a smidge more than the first.

We met Samantha Kennedy back in [b:Deadly Fear|7662223|Deadly Fear (Deadly, #1)|Cynthia Eden|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1302052850s/7662223.jpg|10253426]. We witnessed her sadistic torture, and have since watched bits and pieces of her try to come back to life. Real life, not just the version she puts on for show. And yet Samantha is still haunted...every day is a struggle to deal with the crippling fear of having her GREATEST fear realized. She lived through it, now she has to move past it.Samantha begins this story by acting somewhat out of character. She goes on a hunt for someone to take her mind off of her fears. She finds Max Ridgeway and has a night of no strings attached sex, and then disappears. Max is NOT pleased. (understatement) When Samantha finds Max again, she expects the same scenario to play out. Much to her shock, Max isn't that type of guy. Max sees in Samantha a vulnerability that he can't ignore, and a woman that he wants more than his next breath. His protective instincts kick in, and we get a small taste of a tender Max......until the case that Samantha is working comes to Max's life, exposing her as more than what she claims to be. And yet Sam still keeps her secrets, because she's trying to prove to her FBI team...and to herself...that she has what it takes to do her job.While Samantha tries to keep her feelings for Max from affecting her ability to perform effectively, Max's life now begins to spiral out of control. His step brother is the newest victim in a string of kidnappings for ransom. The kidnapper(s) take a young rich man and hold him, extracting ransom money from his family. And if the family doesn't cooperate, it's instant death for the victim.Only the killer seems to be getting more and more greedy, their M/O changing quickly, and the FBI team is beginning to lose their grip on the case. All the while, Max and Samantha are both coming to terms with heavy feelings that they have for one another, and Samantha is trying to deal with her PTSD while learning to let Max into her heart and her life. This is my absolute favorite of the series, even better than book one. Cynthia Eden is, in a word: INTENSE!!! It's nonstop action, from page one...the scene constantly changes, the villain is truly an evil piece of work...and to top it off, the mystery is done VERY well...I was guessing at the whodunnit until he/she was revealed...and I kept changing my mind!!! I simply LOVED Max, and I equally loved Samantha. I wish I could give girl a hug, because boy did she ever need one! But it's okay, because Max was there for her and he did a fine job of taking care of his woman.The ending was fantastic...bloody and scary and intense right up to the very end. I'm really really hoping that the last few pages means that we will get some more of Hyde's story. I am hoping against all hope that Eden will continue this series.

4.5 stars for this LONG...SLOW...SEDUCTION..."I told myself I was only too weary to fight him, but the truth was that his all-out sensual assault had made me a victim of my own senses - of my own suppressed nature. And now awakened, I was starving for more."Holy wow! Did this ever tick all of my boxes...It's like Vane took everything I love about my escapist dreams and put them into this story... I love the ultra gamma hero...the ones who are supremely confident in themselves...they need no affirmation. Most of the time, they're loners for the most part, but once they find that ONE woman, no one else will do. Add that to the romantic setting of endless desert and the helplessness of captivity and I was sold before I ever even started reading. Now, this hero really is the top dog of chauvinists, but I expected no less from an all powerful sheik on the other side of the world...so leave your 21st century ideals locked up tight! Power rules here...women do not.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MY SYNOPSISA bored, beautiful, rich woman determined to have fun, Diana has rarely felt true passion for anything. "Passion. I could not comprehend how it made such asses of otherwise fine fellows."Especially not sexual passion. She'd rather be a man than a woman most times as she is limited to what she can do. Her beauty is only a crutch, one that makes men see her as a woman rather than as an equal, as a wife or lover rather than as a friend. "My life is mine and I will deal with it exactly as I wish. I will do what I choose when and how I choose. I will never again obey any will but my own."Aubrey's moth tightened and his gaze narrowed. "Then I hope to heaven that one day you will fall into the hands of a man who will make you obey."In defiance of her her brother, she begins a month long trek into the desert in search of adventure with a guide and a small caravan. She knows of the danger but scoffs at convention and common sense. Little does she know, she's already being watched, and plans are already being made to change her life. Diana's destiny is no longer under her own control.When her group is overtaken by a band of native men, Diana finally realizes her arrogance and nonchalance may have cost her dearly. The leader, Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan, is determined to have her."It was at once the handsomest and cruelest face I had ever seen." Ahmed is his own law...he obeys no one. He is a fair ruler among his people...brutal and efficient, but fair. His near godlike status renders him answerable to none. What he wants, he has. His every whim is seen to, his every wish a reality. And he wants the blonde English beauty in his bed. Fortunately for Diana, he also takes great pride in wooing anyone or anything who doubts his authority...or his prowess..."Shall I make you care, cherie? Shall I make it your deepest desire, your only desire, to please me? I can make any woman love me when I choose."Amid the vast and endless desert, Diana is stripped of the one thing that she holds dearly...her freedom. But what is freedom without passion? What is life without love or affection? Diana's situation begins to change her. With the help of the oh-so-patient Sheik Ahmed, Diana finally, reluctantly, begins to discover the joys of being a woman. Whereas her desirability was once a crutch, she now sees the power it gives her. And she starts to see more to life than endless parties, endless quests for the next adventure, endless searching for the ever elusive happiness...From the inside of a lonely tent in a camp of chauvinistic men, Diana begins to change."I had lived my entire live indulging my sense with all things beautiful - art, music, food, wine, perfumes. I had never refrained from handling anything or feeling whatever I chose. Nothing had been out of bounds to me. My wealth allowed me these singular privileges, but I had never before indulge my receptors to anothers touch. I had long ago shunned the need for suck physical contact as a contemptuous feminine weakness, but he had forced my submission to it." And romance is no longer an unbelievable fairy tale. But the fact remains that Diana is a prisoner. Her forced seduction forces her to be a woman in every sense, and she won't settle for less than her Sheik's heart...so now she has to make a choice...will she stay with a man who could never love her back? A man who never backs down, and will never give her his heart? "Why could I not also be loved? How had I failed that he would not love me? Other men had loved me, and I had cared nothing for them, and now suddenly his love was all I longed for in the world..." "Careless indifference seemed only another facet of his cruelty."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Victoria Vane nails it with this retelling of E.M. Hull's [b:The Sheik|257034|The Sheik|Edith Maude Hull|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1173205719s/257034.jpg|249104] And she only gets better and better with her storytelling. She has a way of immersing you in the time period, researching relentlessly...the setting, the clothing, the attention to minor details without excessive verbiage... it all comes together to plunge you into the desert, alone among hundreds of men, an unwilling captive to a man whose intentions are not innocent. And boy, was I titillated!Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Pitcairn Island:A real island somewhere in the middle of the ocean off the coast of New Zealand...along with Tahiti, Easter Island, and Hawaii...just sayin'...MY SYNOPSIS:When Kate and Jen Quintal decide to return to Pitcairn Island, home of their ancestors, their goal is to do their jobs and open a successful hotel. They are prepared for some hardships, knowing that this is one of the most remote, hard to reach places they've ever been. Not only will they have to plan and task with no mistakes, but they soon come to realize just how this hotel could impact the lives of the island's residents. This fact becomes all the more important when they begin to get to know these people and befriend them. Pitcairn's people are basically one big family."They'd give you their left arm if you asked for it, and then their right just because the left arm would miss it."Before Kate even steps onto the longboat bound for the shores of her new home, she has a run in with Bryce, the burly island "Mr. Fix Everything". Jen's nickname for Bryce is Yeti man, which had me rolling every time she said it. But I LIKE big, burly, bearded boys. Here's my Bryce:But it's not long before Kate and Bryce gravitate toward each other, and in between Kate's consuming job of managing the new hotel and cleaning up her old family's island home, Bryce begins to show her the beauty of his home.Kate and Bryce's relationship actually seemed to be very natural. Of course, there are a few misunderstandings...namely involving Bryce's crazy ex girlfriend and a rock band sent to detox on Pitcairn. These characters put this couple's fledgeling relationship to the test, and very nearly break it. But both Bryce and Kate are strong people, and even while the odds are against them, their goofy "first blush of love" thoughts and antics were so endearing...and so relatable! At one point, Kate is trying ever so hard to dress casually for Bryce but to still look beautiful. It made me laugh, and she really doesn't pull the wool over Jen's eyes either."She tried extra hard to make it look like her outfit was thoughtless - the sarong, no jewelry, her hair loose down her back..."And then there's Bryce...sweet, helpful, smitten Bryce, who had resigned himself to a life of bachelorhood! He literally comes to life when he meets Kate. His brusque, alpha manner turns quickly to a gentle, caring man, one makes it evident that he could be a man that settles down, love his woman, and be content with very little. But boy...is he also full of passion! Passionate lovemaking, passion for living, passion for Kate...and oh, that passionate anger!! "She actually followed him home, but he gulped at the sight before him. She was furious. When he heard her stomping up the porch steps, he fought the urge to run and throw open the door in welcome."For me, the dialogue sometimes felt too formal...I'm not sure if that's because the author lives on the other side of the world from me or not, but it stilted the conversations on occasion and created a distance between the reader and the characters. I also wish there had been more down time between Bryce and Kate...more time for romance and wooing, sweet words and sexual tension.Nadine Christian's visualization, however, is wonderful. Her love of her home absolutely shines in her work, and in turn makes me love a place I've never been. She doesn't sugar coat things, either. Pitcairn residents put up wit ten hour a day electricity restrictions, are required to grow much of their food, have to often heat their own water...many, many luxuries that we take for granted aren't possible there, and I think Christian handled it very well...she doesn't romanticize the situation, but still manages to make it seem like a wonderful place to not only visit, but live.This is the second book by Nadine that I've read, and better than her first. I was glad to read more details about Pitcairn, not to mention the sexy story of Kate and Bryce's love affair. I am very much looking forward to the next two books in the series.Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

"Alex realized then that the island wasn't his home; it never had been. Matt was his home..."An un-putdownable gem from Kele Moon! This story starts out in the present day, with Alex somewhat contentedly working in the restaurant he owns and runs with this best (girl) friend. An ordinary day in the life of a simple man, until Matt walks in. Matt, the only man Alex ever truly felt for, and not only the one who got away, but the one he pushed away, the one who lives in his dreams and nightmares, the one that stars in all his regrets... Quickly, the reader is thrown back into the past, with Alex, the poor orphan kid living with his brother and best friend, happily working as a cook during the day and partying all night, occasionally making a trip to Key West for random hookups with random guys. And Matt, the island rich kid in training to take over his father's fortune 500 company, takes a bet to work a grunge job for two weeks. Alex is gay, Matt is curiously turned on by the hottie working the flat top. And the two begin a fast sexual frenzy that turns into a surprisingly natural, loving relationship. But Matt only has one year of freedom from his future responsibilities. And Alex must deal with his consuming love for a man that is way out of his league...a man with big goals, even bigger responsibilities, and a huge hold from his family. Alex makes a very bad...and very sad...decision that effects both he and Matt for the next six years... This was, quite simply, captivating. Though the pace was somewhat slow, the overall tone is a sexually charged yet intimate story of two good people who are exact opposites. Yet they are exactly right for each other. "It was the sexiest, most exciting, but unbelievably low maintenance relationship Matt had ever been in..."I literally cried my way through about the last thirty percent of this book...not huge sobbing ugly tears, but the kind of tears that make your eyes blurry. My heart was heavy, it was broken, along with Matt's and Alex'. "We're gonna play pretend", Alex said, his lips trailing up to Matt's ear."Oh, fuck." Matt's voice dripped with both desire and sadness. "No, no, no. Don't-""We're gonna pretend that day never happened," Alex went on, trying desperately to hold himself together. "That we have forever."Holy geez, it just doesn't get much sexier than this, either. Swallow your tongue sexy. And just what I needed right now. If you like M/M but, like me, are surprised at how PG-13 a lot of M/M reads are, this is a good one for you! It goes on my M/M sexy shelf, and also my favorites!"For just a moment, Matt felt like he could taste the essence of true love, the sheer joy of finding the other half of his sol in another..."

Tylar has had it rough...and the kicker is that she doesn't even realize yet just how rough she's had it. She's blocked a lot of things from her mind, only now "remembering" certain events as vague nightmares...only bad dreams that built of a smaller reality. But she's getting ready to learn that these nightmares are real, and that they are coming after her.Tylar is a senior in college, working a grunt job at the illustrious Sinclair stables. But she's happy with her life, content working around horses. This was one thing that I really just LOVED about this girl...throughout everything that happens to her, she never has a pity party. Girl keeps trucking, and really, that's the BEST! Too many heroines blame their adult mistakes on their rough childhood...that's a fallback that Andrea Smith did not use. The only way Tylar's past factors in here is when it won't stay in the past. And even though Tylar acted a fool a few times, she is young...twenty years old, on her own in the world...girl makes some stupid decisions that add drama to her life. Partying and having a bit too much fun sometimes. I had to feel bad for her once or twice, because she just gets herself into the most awkward situations, and it brings back memories from when I was young and not quite so bright, when I, like Tylar, was a tad to spontaneous. Trey Sinclair is a thirty year old law partner at a prestigious firm. Born to privilege, he's used to getting what he wants. Add that to his strong alpha, domineering tendencies, and you've got one hell of a mix of overpowering male! But he also has a very tender, sympathetic side to him that comes into play quite often, and you never do forget about it. Staying at his parents to oversee their business while they are on an extended vacation, Trey runs into the little spitfire Tylar, a girl with a kind heart toward horses and rebellion in her eyes...especially when it comes to him!! Before long, Trey knows that he wants her. And just like Tylar, he makes his own set of mistakes in this tumultuous love affair. Trey can be mighty possessive, very jealous, and extremely over protective. He can also be so, so good to Tylar!"What you want at 21 may not necessarily be what you want at 30. You're young and idealistic; you've not come to realize these realities yet. That's not a bad thing, don't gt me wrong, enjoy and revel in it for as long as you can, just know that it won't last forever."But you know what, it's a learning curve. And it's evident to me that Trey and Tylar are both very willing to keep on making their relationship work. They meet under fairly extreme circumstances, and their bond keeps them together through some crazy times. A scary subplot to the romance comes in the form of Tylar's evil, EVIL mother and her minion. You just have to read about this woman to believe, seriously. I can't even think straight, being a mother myself...I just can't wrap my mind around her actions. I have to admit, Tylar got on my nerves for a while. But the story itself was so compelling, and the natural flow from young girl to new lover to a woman really coming into her own is exciting. And it's not over. I'm anticipating great things from a girl that I almost wrote off due to stupid choices. The pace of this story picks up at about the halfway point...literally, the plot thickens, and the REAL story starts to fall into place. While there is still a lot of focus on the blossoming love between Trey and Tylar, there are a couple of other extreme circumstances that come to light, and the major series plot line is revealed. Literally within about twenty pages, my excitement level ratcheted up like crazy, and the sexual blew the top of my head off!"It appears our relationship is in dire need of "fuckification," would you agree?"It's a story of new love, young love, and consuming lust...but what I took from it is a story of two people who aren't willing to give up and plan on doing whatever it takes to be happy. And that is refreshing!

Review to be published in upcoming issue of InD'tale Magazine.

"Lucien was a whole lot of trouble because he made her want things she couldn't possibly have. He made ordinary life feel pale and insipid, a watered-down version of the existence she'd tasted that had him in it."This was very similar to book one, Knight and Play, except that there is a more intense undertone to this. It picks up right after the first book left off, with a mini showdown between everyone involved. I thought it was great for Lucien to have some insecurities for once. Quite possibly, this was the first time in his life he's felt insecure about a lover.Dan, Sophie's husband...what a piece of work that man is! I think I growled out loud...seriously, what is wrong with this guy? The way he tries to come crawling back to Sophie, after all that's happened...and he expects her to have open arms? Not to mention that he has another skeleton in his closet directly related to his three year affair with his mistress....this just reinforces my earlier sentiments about Sophie and her decision to reiterate and have a smoking hot affair of her own. I know we're talking about marriage here and that two wrongs don't make a right. But it's not black and white like that."So what if fucking me makes you feel better?" He shifted further down and laid his head against her inner thigh. "Let me be your medicine. In fact, it makes me practically a doctor."..."right now, I prescribe cunnilingus." This is a man who has not only had a three year affair, but a man who has emotionally alienated his wife and seems to really not give a whit about how low he makes her feel. He professes his love, how much he misses her, but he literally crawled from one bed to the other. I'm still team "Sophie go find a great lover" here...And she did, in Lucien. This book is really all about how in the world these two go about meshing their lives together. Lucien has some truly deep seated problems relating to fidelity and marriage. But at least he is honorable in his intentions. "I'm not like him, Sophie." Lucien's words were spoken so softly that Sophie only just caught them. "No. No, you're not like him," she spat. "You're your very own brand of fucked up, Lucien."What a beautiful, broken, lonely man he is. He's held on to his misconceptions about men and women and marriage and fidelity for way too long.One of my other friends has this as her Lucien, and I thought he was PERFECTION My favorite part about this is how Sophie doesn't really try to convince Lucien that they can make it work. I hate when a woman chases after a man, which is what I thought would happen for a bit with this book. But that's not what happened at all. Sophie is simply steadfast and loyal...a little broken and needy herself, but that's okay. They heal each other. "I don't want to break you..."Never thought I'd long to see Norway, but now I do! It sounds lovely. Especially with a tall, blonde, and handsome Viking tucked away in a romantic cabin. And then there's Paris...nuff said."This is what had been missing from her marriage, too. Scorching sex was all well and good, but she could have lived forever with Dan's missionary style if he's shown her even a fraction the sensitivity that Lucien did right at that moment."The ending...aaaah, the ending!!! So much comes through about Lucien's devotion and remaining insecurities, and yet it all wraps up exactly like I wanted it to. Simply beautifully. Just the last line of the book, and the epilogue itself...made all of the heartache and struggles worth it!!!!

While this book didn't blow me away, it did have all of the elements that I tend to like in a Highlander romance. I love those that are rich in Scottish history...obviously loosely based on real events, with an author's historical note. But the history and politics didn't at all override the romance, which is obviously the best part of the book to me. Sileas (pronounced She-luss) was a pitiful young girl, she and her mother were both used as pawns in men's games of war and politics. I could empathize with her plight, but the miscommunication between she and Ian when they were older and wiser got to be too much. Sileas seemed more mature when she was a thirteen year old. Honestly, her character just caused a lot of problems. She WAS available and useful in Ian's parent's household, and the family came to love her and rely on her, but I couldn't get past how much chaos she caused.Ian was a somewhat blah character. I just didn't feel anything for him, which is very uncommon for me with regards to heroes. He was a teenage boy full of hormones and horny-ness at first, but even after he grows up, he just remains so clueless about Sileas. I never understood how he couldn't see her embarrassment and heartbreak. Did he honestly NEVER think about what a forced marriage would do to a thirteen year old girl? Not to mention one who had already lived the life that Sileas did. This was a hard thing to buy, and if I couldn't bring myself to believe that he was such an utterly oblivious person, then I'd just have to fall back on the fact that he is unfeeling and never cared about her emotional well being.All that being said, I will still continue with the story, because I am very intrigued by Connor and the rest of the men. This series seems to not only have individual stories but a series plot as well, and I love that in a series. It makes for an intricate and intriguing story line. The writing is fine, it's the characterization that fell short for me. I just didn't really like either of them. I listened to the audiobook...the narrator sounded like an old English Dude, and I KNOW that fact colored my opinion of the story, so take this review for what it's worth. I will switch to reading the rest of the series.

"He'd shown her how sex was supposed to be, and there was no going back..."Errmahgerd!!!!!!!!!I love you guys, I really do! I love how you know my tastes so well sometimes. My wonderful Pher recommended this to me recently...and I ho-hummed about it. Pretty cover, but really? Another hot and sexy millionaire? And the my lovely friend Wm recommended [b:Knight & Stay|16704759|Knight & Stay (Knight, #2)|Kitty French|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361513650s/16704759.jpg|22937956], and I caved.So glad I caved!!!!!!!!!!MY SYNOPSIS:Sophie is pretending to be an ostrich. Why would she do that, you say? Well, Sophie's husband has been going on extended business trips, having many, many late night work nights, getting numerous secretive calls and texts...and...oh, yeah...hasn't slept with his wife in six months. So yeah, Sophie has her head in the sand. She knows what's going on but just won't admit to herself that her high school sweetheart is cheating on her. So instead of the inevitable confrontation, Sophie decides that she needs to amp up her boring life, starting with her crap job."Sophie knew better than to let herself think about it too deeply, because then there would be questions that needed answers. Up until now, she hadn't wanted to ask them, even though they were there in huge black capital letters. The gulf between them had slowly widened into an ocean awash with the flotsam and jetsam of a neglected relationship; countless cold shoulders instead of enveloping hugs. Too many dry pecks on the cheek rather than passionate clinches on the dining table. Too many hurriedly hidden text messages. The circumstantial evidence all pointed towards another woman, and Sophie's sexual confidence had ebbed away in the face of Dan's undeniable rebuttals in bed. She'd been feeling old, and cold. Until now. Until she'd stepped into Lucien Knight's force field yesterday evening.Lucien Knight's initial thoughts on Sophie are that she's a hot piece, very qualified for the job as his personal assistant, but also way too innocent and naive to take on the job as the PA of a wildly popular sex club/toy shop owner. When Sophie shocks him during their interview with her reluctant show of bravado, Lucien checks into her life...and finds out about her husband's infidelity. Instantly......All bets are off.Lucien feels no guilt going after a woman who's husband treats her wrong and won't see what a gorgeous, sexy vixen he has. MY THOUGHTS:What thoughts? Holy crap, was this book sexy as hell! I was told to prepare for some smut, and they were right!!! It's got some really awesome smut. And I was actually really satisfied with the way that things were initially starting out. Then the emotions started eeking into Sophie and Lucien's story, and it became so much more!This was ultra quotable, so I'm just going to add a bunch of my favorites here, a la Sharon style...~~ "Don't lie to yourself because you feel guilty, Sophie. He's cheating, and you deserve better. You deserve to be adored, and you deserve to be fucked until you can't stand up...."~~ "It wasn't lovemaking. It was pure fucking."~~ "Sex with Lucien was a cross between the most sweeping romantic movie an the filthiest porn flick; he was feather gentle and filthy erotic all a the same time..."~~ "I figured I could screw you happy, I guess."To be honest, this book was a lot more romantic than I expected it to be. Lucien, the ever present bad boy with a past...is, throughout nearly the entire book, a really nice guy...completely and utterly devoted to worshiping Sophie, proving to her how desirable and attractive she is, and showing her what she should not only expect from her husband, but demand.~~ "Why have you tied me to a tree?" She demanded. He plucked the woolen hat from her head and unzipped her jacket."It's a game.""A game?"He nodded. "You'll like it." He lifted her hair so it fell behind her shoulders and kissed her exposed neck. "It's called Let's show Sophie how fucking beautiful she is..."

”You two come with so much baggage, it's a wonder you don't get crushed. And that's the thing, neither of you did. And you found each other. It's time to unload that burden and find some joy.” I rarely gush and swoon and giggle and lose my ever loving mind for a book. I should have known Kristen Ashley would bring out my inner teenage girl. Joe Callahan and Violet, even Mike and Vi's daughters Kate and Kiera...they all stole my heart. Their story made my emotions run a crazy obstacle course before setting in on “ADORE”. MY SYNOPSIS:Violet Winters moved to the 'Burg after the death of her husband. She and her two teenager daughters are doing the best they can to move on with their lives. Her husband, Tim, was a wonderful father and partner, and if they don't have him, at least they have wonderful memories. One night, the house next door is suddenly blaring music for hours on end. Since the house has been empty for months, Violet tries to give her neighbor a pass. But after hours of losing sleep, a fuming Vi finally storms over to Joe Callahan's house, livid and fed up. This initial meeting between Joe and Vi is a great precursor for how the next few months go...it's volatile, it's scary, it's passionate, it's confusing as hell...but boy, does it get their blood flowing.Joe Callahan is a security specialist for the stars. He may live in the Burg, but he's rarely home. A chance 3 a.m. meeting with his cute and sexy neighbor leaves him titillated and interested. But Joe doesn't DO relationships. Like, ever. Not since the tragedy of his younger years. Joe is the very definition of a loner, and he has no place for a woman, especially one with two beautiful, wonderfully quirky daughters, one who lights him up with a smile, and one who wants, expects, and deserves more than he is able to give.But when Violet's secrets come out and she is put in danger, Joe's protective instincts come out. And he realizes that somehow, these three women have squirmed their way into his heart, where no one else has been for seventeen years. And once Joe lays down a claim, I can't imagine anyone who would get in the way.This book has lots of fun Kristen Ashley type inclusions such as: An awesome group of zany, wacky, distinctly loyal girlfriendsSome competition for our heroine's affections...with a hottie who gets a future bookA scary dude who forces the hero to go into protective commando modeEndearing secondary characters who give our heroine a platform to show her awesomenessSuper duper alpha male that you might want to castrate a few times throughout the story, but you'll be really glad you didn'tMY THOUGHTS:Hahahahahha!!! My thoughts...get ready for a gushfest. It's almost ridiculous how much I loved this book. I had heard, being a big KA fan, of Joe Callahan, for quite awhile, by so many friends....but I've saved and savored her books like fine chocolate...little bits at a time. Partly because I can only take so much of her uber alpha, overbearingly bossy men, and partly because I'm attempting to prolong the end of her long list of amazing stories. I.Love.Joe Callahan.He is, without a doubt, one of the hardest of KA males to read about. Because for quite some time, he's a big fat jerk. No matter how hot and amazing he is, he does some really mean stuff to a woman that is extremely undeserving. However, he more than makes up for it, and you come to realize that Joe is in an even darker place than Vi is...he just hides it better. Joe's story is practically Burg lore, though, so Violet gets to know him more from the town gossip tree than she ever gets from him. Joe is secretive, a loner, and brusque to the point of rudeness. But he wants Violet. He wants her bad. Only, Violet doesn't like being played.”...if you're willing to help, I should take it. But I'm gonna tell you even though I figure you know, I think you're an asshole. I don't only not like you, I hate you. I hate how you played me. I hate that I was so fucking stupid, I let myself get played. I hate that you know about this because I hate that you know anything about me. And I hate that I have to accept help from you.” After she dealt her lethal succession of blows, she finished with, “But I'll do it...for my girls.”Poor, poor Violet. She's been so beaten down by life. Hard knock after hard knock should have left more than a mark on her heart...shouldn't someone with a story like this end up sad and broken? Not this chick! Vi still sees beauty in life, she has joy in her girls, she likes her job, and she's building a new life for herself and her daughters. There is a realism to Vi that makes me want to be her friend, and her life, full of money worries and teenage angst, jumps out at me from these pages. This story is full of REAL people, REAL life. Sexy neighbor Joe, no matter how big an ass, is also bringing out her sexuality again. And when Joe screws her...and decides to screw her over, she moves on to Mike, a town cop who is exactly the type of man that she should want. Mike and Joe begin to vie for her attention, and the sexy factor goes up a couple of notches.”She's sweet, she can be funny when she forgets to be sad. She's good to her girls, a great Mom and fuckin' gorgeous.”One thing that I love about KA heroes is that they always see the value in a good woman. They always have a deeply hidden romantic nature that is not apparent at first. And when they finally accept that a woman is theirs, there is nothing that gets in their way...not even her! Call it stalking, call it an unhealthy obsession, these boys don't take no for an answer! And than goodness for that!!So Joe is a broken man, but Vi brings out the happy Joe, and when this man gets romantic...SWOON!!!”Love it when you say my name, baby...The way you say 'Joe', every man would wish that was their name.”Not to mention the way that Joe is with Vi's daughters. I'm SUCH a sucker for a man who is good to kids. Joe come across as a natural father, and it's heart melting. These girls are dying for some stability, and Joe gives that to them...eventually. He also has to do a lot of questionable things to keep his girls safe, but it's all in the name of love. ”Happy family and about fucking time.”To sum it all up: Joe screws up more than any other KA alpha that I've read to date. This is probably not a good book to go into without prior knowledge of what it means to be a KA man. However, everyone makes mistakes, especially those of us with demons in our pasts. Joe...yeah, he makes a lot of mistakes. So does Violet. But this isn't just a romance. It's a story. It's not pretty. In fact, there are times that it's ugly. But in all, it's actually quite beautiful, because when it's all said and done...this Burg is going to have some happy, healthy couples.

"Oh, my love," he said softly, "you terrify me."Oh, the wonderful world of an Anne Stuart novel...Despite the fact that Stuart's typical ultra gamma hero was lacking a bit in his gamma-ness, this was still a fantastic story. Bryony, the heroine, is in search of the man who killed his father, stole his money, and left his daughters not only destitute, but shunned from society due to the cloud of suspicion hanging over their family name. The Earl of Kilmartyn was his business partner, and due to a multitude of reasonable conclusions, is first in line for Bryony's suspicions. She infiltrates the married Earl's household posing as a new housekeeper.Kilmartyn is married, this is true. His wife of ten years is very nearly his only match in beauty in all of England. But her disgusting, cruel nature, and her many affairs that she parades in front of her husband have hardened him to her, and love and marriage as well. "Well, you might not mind beimg surrounded by ugliness, but I do," she snapped.He was already surrounded by ugliness, the ugliness of human nature eat its worst, and he'd been chained to her for close to a decade."Until Bryony comes along, with her pox scars and her pride, her steadfast nature, and her obvious secrets.I loved that Kilmartyn had Bryony figured out almost from the get go. She's been secluded her entire life, a recluse by choice after her mother convinced her that her scars made her inappropriate for society. So Bryony is a bit naive, but she is SO STRONG in character. And she truly fights her attraction to the most beautiful man she has ever seen, knowing in her heart that her ugliness could never attract a man, let alone him."He wasn't even touching her, and yet she felt invaded, taken, seduced, and enraptured, all from the deep, piercing look that caught between them pulling her like a riptide, and she swayed toward him, wanting to feel his body against her. Her breasts were hot, there was a tight feeling in her belly, and she wanted...she wanted...she couldn't name what she wanted. She could only feel it."It sounds very cliche, but I can't think of how else to phrase this: Kylmarten and Bryony simply break down each other's walls. A la Anne Stuart Style...with their snooty back and forth, their obvious disdain and mistrust of one another...they constantly condescended to each other! And I had to laugh...seriously, these two and their constant sexually charged frustration was a joy to read."He didn't have much of a conscience left, but what remained seemed to belong to Bryony."* Arc courtesy of Montlake via Netgalley* Quotes used with permission

Short but super cute. There's nothing better than giggling like mad with your kids, and this one had us all feeling silly. I'd recommend this for kids around 7 years old and up, due to some inflection and wording that may go right over younger kid's heads. It's a really quick read, but perfect for busy families that need a little time spent together laughing. I'd also recommend that the parent read it to the kids, because of the way the dialogue is all placed in word bubbles and meant to be read in a certain order. (higher bubbles first) Arc provided by Blue Apple Books via Edelweiss

"Who knew being an emotionally unavailable bitch would be such a turn on for some men?I imagine most men would be okay with the role reversal shown here in this book...unexpected and titillating public sex after meeting for two minutes? Um, yeah!However, this is not conducive to a romance.And that was my big problem with this book. Everything these two do leads to sex. Every scene they are in leads to sex...every argument, phone call, date, simple conversation leads to sex. I did expect there to be a lot of sex, but I also expected for these two to become a solid couple, and I don't see how that was possible in their situation. Heather starts out asserting her dominating side over Tony when he laments always being in charge in life. He wants someone else to make the decisions for once, and Heather decides that she wants to take control of this aspect of her life. It made for a cute setup, but Heather and Tony continue in this same vein for nearly the rest of the book. Even when it's clear that they are actually two very different people in real life, and they don't just act like this in the bedroom.It was just awkward and messy for me. Tony and Heather didn't seem real, their reactions were sometimes over the top (Ex: Heather's best friend playfully calls her a dominatrix and Heather flips the bitch switch, Tony stalks Heather in a club because too many men are looking at her) and things just felt weird. I admit to skimming most of the last fifteen percent or so, which is where I'm assuming these two become more "real" with each other, but I was ready to be done. The writing itself was fine, the characterization was what left me wanting.